Winter Visitors

A couple of random chips suddenly emanate from a nearby fig tree. Could this be the flock we are looking for? My friends and I have been slowly walking this dry arroyo for only a few hundred meters, in search of a specific flock of birds that had been seen the other day by another group of friends. A drab Orange-crowned and a female Black-throated Gray Warbler are the first two birds I see. A Rufous-capped Warbler pauses briefly in the open before diving back into the tangled understory. We hear a bird seemingly mumble to itself, a dark shadow flits out briefly, a Blue Mockingbird exposes itself between two dark tangles in the underbrush…we are definitely not in the north.

A couple of Nashville Warblers make an appearance, then a handful of Warbling and Cassin’s Vireos, all feeding in the dry tropical deciduous woodland that lines the edge of the arroyo. Many of the trees look gray and leafless, and many columnar cacti grow intermittently between them, a habitat that does not appear north into the United States of America. This contrasts strikingly with the floral growth within the arroyo itself, with tall, fully-leafed figs sinking their tangled roots deep into the rocky bed of the wash in search of water.

Soon enough, twenty-some birds have slowly worked their way past us, chattering amongst themselves as they glean insects from the winter foliage. “There’s the Black-cap!” one of us exclaims, quickly pointing out the bird. This federally endangered bird breeds exclusively in the Hill Country of Texas and Oklahoma, wintering here in western Mexico. Having never visited the Hill Country during the summer, this is my first time observing this unique species. This experience is made significantly sweeter knowing that most American birders will never see it here in its wintering habitat, which is also under attack by development, as are its summer breeding areas.

Finally, the prize bird shows itself…looking quite similar to a normal Warbling Vireo except bright gold and yellow all over, a Golden Vireo. An endemic to the Pacific slope of Mexico, during the winter it is almost exclusively found much further south, so we are extremely fortunate that this particular individual opted to spend the winter in this winter flock in Arroyo Aduana. Despite keeping itself buried deep and low within the brush, I somehow manage to get my focus to cooperate just long enough to snap off a couple of poor quality shots of a high quality bird.

Like us, these birds are winter visitors, living in this land for only a period of time before returning for other lands and habitats. This is just a glimpse into the time I recently spent traveling and birding in Sonora, México. There are far too many other wonderful moments and experiences to capture with words, so look here for a small photo gallery to be posted early tomorrow!